School district surveys parents on fall reopening
July 11, 2020 | By Waterbury RoundaboutEditor’s note: On July 8, the Harwood Unified Union School District contacted families of all students with its first communication regarding reopening schools for students to return in late August. Administrators outlined some of the thinking to date regarding the many adjustments that will be needed to conduct in-person learning safely for students and school staff given the COVID-19 pandemic. They note that they have received only partial guidance from state education and public health officials to date regarding reopening schools and that more details are expected. The survey asks parents about preferences for in-person or remote learning or a combination of the two; it asks about bus transportation. So far, school officials haven’t outlined specific day-to-day details on how those alternatives for attendance might work or how school transportation will adhere to current guidelines.
Below is the letter to families containing a link to a survey parents are asked to complete by July 15.
July 8, 2020
Dear HUUSD families,
We hope this correspondence finds you safe and well. We know all of our lives have been turned upside down. Our hearts go out to those who have experienced loss or illness during this crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic presents the most serious public health crisis the world has experienced in generations.
HUUSD is working to reopen our campuses for the 2020-2021 school year with significant safety measures in place. Our goal is the safe return of as many students as possible to in-person school to maximize learning and address our students’ holistic needs.
To help us plan, we ask that you complete a survey regarding your plans for your children next year. The link to that survey is at the end of this letter.
While we have learned much to improve remote learning over the course of the school closures, there is no substitute for in-person instruction when it comes to the quality of students’ academic learning. In-person school also plays an important role in our ability to support students’ social-emotional needs, including their mental and physical health, and in mitigating the impacts of trauma. Additionally, we recognize how disruptive school closures have been to families trying to maintain regular work schedules and home life while also facilitating remote learning.
Our first commitment is to safety. Following guidance recently released from the Vermont Agency of Education & Department of Health, we have created five district teams and a team in each building that will work through the summer to prepare for the start of school. At this point, we have many unanswered questions. We have received the first of 5 expected implementation documents from the Agency of Education that will establish the criteria for specific decision making before school begins. Below is a summary of the safety measures currently identified to be in place. Please note that these may change based on how the local COVID situation changes over the summer.
Healthy Classrooms
Wear masks (staff & students)
Wash hands frequently
Maximize physical distancing capacity across settings
Create pods of students within the school, minimizing contact between groups
Increase outdoor time
Promote culture of caring for selves & one another through all safety activities
Healthy Buildings
Enhanced cleaning and disinfection
Ensure air quality ventilation and filtration systems functionality
Limit people in building to those who must be there
Healthy Policies
Establish and reinforce a culture of health, safety and shared responsibility
Screen all staff & students daily, before coming to school
Prioritize staying home when sick
Implement consistent approved protocols if COVID-19 is suspected and/or confirmed
Healthy Schedules
Staggered arrival times through multiple entrances
Change school events, avoiding communal gatherings/activities
Lunch served in classrooms
Encourage alternative transportation to/from school, and modify seating arrangements on buses to maximize distancing
Healthy Activities
Go outside often
Modify physical education
Provide additional social-emotional instruction & supports
Support connection to community-based resources
Communicate frequently and in multiple formats with families
Our planning is based on the guidance we have received from the state. If you wish further information, here is a slideshow Overview of School Health Guidance ; the full document is available at A Strong & Healthy Start: Safety & Health Guidance for VT Schools.
In addition to safety planning, we are considering how we can take the learning from the past few months to make school even better suited to all of our students' needs. This is not just so that we can pivot as the pandemic changes, but so that we can use this turning upside down as an opportunity to improve our schools for all, for the long term.
We need to understand your needs and plans for August. We appreciate that each family has unique circumstances. We ask that you complete one survey for each child attending an HUUSD school next year. While your answers are not binding, they will inform our planning. Please let your school administrator know if your plans change. Your individual answers will not be shared publicly; they will be used only by our planning teams. Please complete this survey by Wednesday July 15.
Please take a few minutes to complete this survey regarding school attendance and transportation for next year.
We will share a link to the Return to Learn Survey on the home page as well.
Our state and our district will frequently revisit our approach as the COVID-19 situation evolves over time in our local communities. We will keep you apprised of our plans as they develop. As always, it takes all of us working together to create the best situations possible for our children, and we thank you in advance for your efforts from the homefront.
Respectfully,
The HUUSD Admin Team